Meaning & use
reform
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To improve a law, system, or institution by correcting its faults.
Grammar: Takes an object: reform the tax system.
Patterns
- reform something
- reform the system
- reform an institution
The new government promised to reform the education system.
They are trying to reform the way elections are funded.
The company was forced to reform its safety procedures.
verbtransitive
To make someone behave better or stop their bad habits.
Grammar: Takes a person as object: reform a criminal.
Patterns
- reform someone
- reform a criminal
The program aims to reform young offenders rather than punish them.
He was sent to a special school to reform his behavior.
She believed that education could reform even the most hardened criminals.
verbintransitive
To stop bad habits and start behaving in a better way.
Grammar: No object; often used with 'from' or 'after': reform after prison.
Patterns
- reform from something
- reform after something
He reformed after spending two years in prison.
She has completely reformed and now volunteers at a charity.
It is possible for people to reform at any age.
nouncountable or uncountable
A change made to a law, system, or organization to improve it.
Grammar: Can be countable (a reform) or uncountable (the need for reform).
Patterns
- a reform of something
- reform of the system
- carry out reforms
The government announced major reforms to the health service.
There is growing pressure for reform of the banking industry.
The reforms were designed to reduce bureaucracy.
Word forms
| third person singular | reforms |
|---|---|
| past tense | reformed |
| past participle | reformed |
| -ing form | reforming |
| plural | reforms |
Common combinations
- reform the system
- They promised to reform the system so that it works for everyone.
- reform a law
- Parliament voted to reform the law on data protection.
- carry out reforms
- The new director carried out sweeping reforms in her first year.
- radical reform
- Radical reform is needed to fix the housing crisis.
- reform of the police
- The report called for urgent reform of the police.
Synonyms and how they differ
- improve
- More general; use it for making anything better, not just systems or laws.
- revise
- Often used for changing a plan, document, or law after review; less about correcting deep faults.
- reorganize
- Focuses on changing the structure, not necessarily making it better.
- amend
- Used for small, formal changes to a text or law, not large-scale improvement.
Opposites
Word family
- reformer noun
- A person who works to improve a system or institution.
- reformist adjective
- Wanting to change and improve a system gradually rather than replace it.
- reformation noun
- The act of improving something, especially a system or practice.
Commonly confused: reform or re-form?
reform vs re-form
With a hyphen, it means to form again or bring together again, as in 'the band re-formed'. Without a hyphen, reform means to improve.
Practice
The new president promised to ______ the country's legal system.
Choose one answer.
'Reform' is the verb needed after 'to'. 'Reformation' is a noun, 'reformer' is a person, and 'reformist' is an adjective or noun, so none fits the verb slot.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reform”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.